4 Best Fixes for Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot Grayed Out

The Mobile Hotspot feature was introduced by Microsoft in 2016 with the launch of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Build 1607). Mobile Hotspot allows you to share the Internet (wired or wireless) from your PC with other Wi-Fi enabled devices. In this guide, we list four solutions to a common problem that makes the feature unusable for some Windows 10 users.

If you are unable to share the Internet from your computer because the Mobile hotspot option is grayed out (whether in the Action Center, in the network settings menu on the taskbar or in the Settings menu on the Windows), the solutions listed in this guide will help you resolve the issue. . Check them.

Quick Fact: The Windows 10 Mobile hotspot feature allows you to share the Internet from your PC with up to eight (8) devices simultaneously.

1. Check the internet connection

The Windows 10 Mobile hotspot feature is designed to work only when your computer can access the Internet through the network (wired or wireless) to which you connect it. If the network to which your PC is connected has a “No Internet, secure” label, the mobile hotspot will be grayed out.

In this case, you need to check and troubleshoot your router – whether your device is connected to a wireless network. You can move your PC closer to the router or vice versa, i.e. move the router to your PC. Restarting your router can also help. And if nothing changes, you should contact your ISP to check if there is any network downtime.

Other network issues (the unidentified network error, for example) can also prevent the mobile hotspot from working on your Windows 10 computer.

2. Turn off airplane mode

Activating airplane mode on your Windows 10 computer suspends all wireless connections (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data) on the device. Therefore, it will also render the mobile hotspot functionality unusable.

Therefore, if the mobile hotspot is grayed out on your Windows 10 PC or laptop, check if Airplane mode is turned off.

There are several ways to turn off airplane mode in Windows 10. Let’s see them.

From the task bar

Step 1: Tap the airplane icon in the lower left corner of the taskbar.

2nd step: Tap the airplane icon with a blue background to turn off Airplane mode.

From the action center

You can also turn off Airplane mode from the Windows Action Center.

Step 1: Tap the note icon in the lower left corner of the screen.

This will open the Windows Action Center. Now turn off airplane mode.

2nd step: If the airplane icon is on a blue background, it means Airplane mode is on. Tap the icon to turn off Airplane mode.

From the Settings menu

It’s a long hack, but it’s also a way to turn off airplane mode on your Windows computer.

Step 1: Launch the Windows Settings menu and select “Network & Internet”.

2nd step: Next, tap Airplane Mode in the left menu.

Step 3: Finally, turn off the switch just under the Airplane Mode option.

Now connect your computer to a wired or wireless network and check if the mobile hotspot is still grayed out.

3. Reset network settings

It might also help resolve any network related issues that are graying out the mobile hotspot on your computer. Resetting the network settings will hamper any previous configurations you have made on your PC’s Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, VPN, and Ethernet connections. We have a step-by-step guide that explains what happens when you reset Windows 10 network settings and how to go about it. You should take a look.

If you don’t have time to read the guide, follow the steps below to reset network settings in Windows 10.

Step 1: Launch the Windows Settings menu and select “Network & Internet”.

2nd step: Scroll to the end of the Status menu and select Network Reset.

Step 3: Press the Reset Now button to continue.

Note: As shown in the image above, your PC will be restarted – maybe more than once. Additionally, your network cards will be removed but reinstalled. So you have nothing to fear.

4. (Re) Start Windows Mobile Hotspot Service

In rare cases where the mobile hotspot remains grayed out despite applying the above fixes, you should try to (re) start the “Windows Mobile hotspot service” through the Microsoft management console. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Launch the Run Windows window using the “Windows Key + R” keyboard shortcut.

2nd step: Then type services.msc in the Open dialog box and press Enter on your keyboard or press OK.

This will launch the Microsoft Management Console.

Step 3: Scroll through the list of services in the windows and locate “Windows Mobile Hotspot Service”. Right click on it and select Start.

If you don’t see the Start option, you can tap Restart.

You will receive a prompt informing you that Windows is attempting to start the “Windows Mobile Hotspot Service” on your computer.

After that, check if the mobile hotspot is now available on your computer.